SFFS15: Top industry trends, recall woes, and the theater of retail

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And now, we’re resting our legs. Because we're doing it again Tuesday.

The Summer Fancy Food Show in New York is featuring 180,000 products from 2,400 exhibitors all looking to stand out and show off. Here's a quick bite from Monday's plate of sessions and trends:

Checking out the chickpeas

Chickpeas chomped their way through the show, with companies like Banza — which features "the first pasta made from chickpeas" — and Watusee Foods' Organic Chickpeatos making the rounds.

"We’re excited that it is a trend," Poorvi Patodia, founder of Biena Foods said. She wanted to make the distinction that her chickpea snacks have a different roast and seasoning process, and are more like a chip.

Meat snacks

Multiple meat snack companies were at the show, including Perky Jerky and Krave. Zach Greenberg of Perky Jerky said the company right now is growing steadily, and Food Dive chatted with Krave’s regional marketing manager Lindsey Valliere about the Hershey acquisition process. We'll be taking a closer look at how various companies felt about a potential acquisition by a larger brand following the show.

Seaweed snacks

SeaSnax’s CEO Ben Kim said seaweed is "definitely going mainstream" and called his product a "chip replacement."

April Oh of CJ Foods said the relationship with seaweed can be love or hate. She said the company’s Annie Chun's Seaweed Crisps are more traditional compared to another seaweed snack GimMe.

Kit fever

A few different "kits" popped up. Scratch & Grain’s Baking Co.’s Cookie Kits, which made a splash on "Shark Tank," not to mention Back to the Roots Mushroom Kit, stuck out. This DIY-approach has certainly worked for food delivery companies like Blue Apron and Plated.

Top trends in products

From ginger to quinoa to matcha, a number of reinvigorated flavors and products made appearances. Below are some quick takes from industry members from larger, established brands. The least surprising takeaway from all three companies? "Healthy" is in:

Unilever

Normajean Longfield, principal kitchens applications chef

June Kuruc, senior test kitchen coordinator

Lots of salts

Bitters

Yogurt

Matcha

Quinoa chips

Looking to grow healthier

Ginger

McCormick & Co.

Representative (asked to not be named)

Quinoa

Coconut

All kinds of health claims - non-GMO, organic, gluten-free

US Foods

Jim Frisch, broadline food distribution at US Foods

Stacie Sopinka, vice president of innovation and product development

Beets

Coconut items

Cold brewed coffee

Cherry

Healthier items

Here a recall, there a recall

Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream is navigating listeria contamination. Jeni Britton Bauer clarified that its second time closing stores was due to a lack of inventory, but that shouldn’t be a problem going forward.

"You have to set your own standards," she said regarding food safety — and general business practices.

She added that specialty food companies "should be nervous" when it comes to situations like this.

While the brand isn’t featuring any ice cream at this year’s show, their appearance is intended to let people know they’ll be back.

How pop culture relates to retail

Kevin Kelley, of the business-meets-design firm Shook Kelley, delivered a message on the value of retail and brand storytelling. This is an effort to offer consumers an emotional experience, one apart from the outside world, much like the way movies and TV can captivate an audience (he admittedly cried during "The Fault in Our Stars"). Among the stores that pull it off well? Trader Joe’s with its "Aw shucks" approach and Hawaiian shirts — what Kelley called a "sleeper brand" — Cracker Barrel with its nostalgia factor, and Costco’s warehouse appearance.

Kelley discussed helping out Nabisco in 2007 to 2009, and pointed out how a change in context, with visual cues and triggers, helped boost sales in certain stores 18 to 36%